Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-17


the other curses will follow.
What has the liquor traffic done fer the
good of mankind?
Those who have favored this business,
and have determined to protect and fos-
ter it as one of the institutions of the
state, have made call upon certain
classes of the people of this state to rally
to its standard, and help to sustain the
cause now so seriously threatened. That
call is to meet in convention in Dallas
on the first Monday in May next, and as
epitomized, reads:
The following classes are invited to be
represented by county,
l. The followers of Thomas Jefferson.
>. The believers Of temperance, sobri-
ETY. and moderation.
3. The lovers of their country who wish
to stand by the fundamental principles Of
the government.
4. Ali believers that the safety of cur
institutions depends upon the mainten-
8nce Of individual freedom in religion,
! politics, s0Cia! customs and habits.
:. All who have not yet lost faith in
the church, the home ana the school.
8. Patriots VINO ,feyere the glory and
grandeur Of our great state.
| /. All who believe the people of Texas
are q religious people.
/ s. All Christian people.
The invitation is general and cordial to
/ the best classes Of people III the state,
! alleging that there is "seriCuS commons
danger now TO be met" What is that
common danger? No fair minded man
can draw any other conclusion thgn that
the liquor traffic is endangered that it Is
the sole question involved IN this cOntrO-
versy, and hence the object must be, to
save and protect this business and make
it one Of the permanent institutions OF
the land. What is there in this business
that calls upon good, IaW-abiding, Code
fearing people to lay aside all other busl.
less and rush into q convention and cam
paign to save it from the danger of ,beiHg
Oyerthrown by wise and conservative
reform?
Let US examine its claims for
moment and see if the liquor traffic has
the right to expect these classes of good
people to fight its battles in this contest.
Let me perSonate all the Glasses de-
scri0ed in the call, for the sake Of argu-
ment, aud ask the liquor traffic and its
supporters for some Information.
You call upon me TO join with you
because "there is a. serious common
danger now to be met.V There is but
one issue submitted, and it involves
nothing more, nothing less, than to
prohibit the1making and selling Of lntOX-
icatlng liquors as beverage; therefore,
there is and can be but. one thing endan-
gered, and that thing is, the making and
ceiling Of ardent spirits IS g beverage. !
Is there common danger that the liquor
traffic will be suppressed? The reform |
movement now Battling against it is
strong, well OrgahiZed, and earnestly /
e0ntesCing every foot of ground. The |
supporters of the traffic may well be /
alarmed, and should show the BEST rea- /
sons for retaining the business. And !
being undecided whether to fght under |
your flag or to declare for reform, you
will plesse,teu me what IS your strength, |
numerically and financially, show me
your power and position, that l may
Judge of your ability TO succeed. Then
show me what you have done and pro-
pose to do for the people, society ana
better government. | do not want empty
declarations and unredeemed promises,
out such q force of men and such g
power of capital must have exerted a
vast influence on the world; and | want
you to show me the solid evidences of
hat influence for good; and upon a
saudid review of you and your work l
FilRdecide whether to go with or again.
56a.
1t is admitted upon well attested
statistics that you have in the United States
a due pro rata part located in Texas /
rs, 900 saloons for selling ardent spirits; {
hatyoR have employed as saloon keepers |
nd statesmen about 10000 people; {
hat you have invested IN the manu- {
acture of Liquor about $3.50, 900 900,
I'd that your, annual sales of t
liquors amount to about /
inc hundred millions of dollars, $780, |
90, 000) 1t is difficult to grasp the idea 6
f such g powers body of men nearly as l
reat as the combined armies of the
TOTld-as many as the total population
f the thirteen colonies when they adopted S
he Declaration of independence and de- c
Jared war against Great Britain-tive I
undred thousand more than the entire 1
OpulatiOn of Texas, and fully one q
wentieth of the population of the United t
tates! What might such a force not t
ccomplish under proper organization t
nd wise direction? 1t is capable of
ringing peace Oh revolution to the p
Ountry st Will. The gross product OF
BE sales from this traffic is not less start t
hundred millions of dollars, il
nnually. The total taxable property of b
eXas-a state about five times as large II
5 the state of New YOrk-With q pOpula- Ii
on Of two and half millions, in 1885 0
to S62l 900, 600 All our prop a
rty of every kind, our lands, towns, o
ties, railroads, shipping, cattle and Ii
lOney, do not amount to this vast sum e
y half. Suppose this sum was, for one V
ear, invested in hOmesteads for the poor "
.mi!ies-each homestead costing $1,000 Il
1T would supply 10000 families with ell T,
le blessings that surround them. What C
ould such an investment produce for o
lie human race in few years? The h
asst army of people engaged in the busi- ii
ess is mighty power for good or evil. v
ne enormous total capital invested in it Il
assesses power that defies the compu- p
tion of numbers. All this is admitted. ii
ut we push the inquiry, where are the
lid evidences Ofyour efforts made and Ii
oney spent for the elevation and good of L
ankind? Whist have you done for the CT
luse of man or God? Tell me, you 2
ivocates of the liquor traffic, where are N
e colonies of people planted and d,
stored by you in the world? Where are pl
e institutions of learning, the common tt
hoolS. colleges, and universities built cs
you? Where are the enterprises you 81
i've planted and completed, such as NJ
llroads, factories and comp 4nies de- ST
looping the natural resources of your sc
ate! Where are the societies formed tn
charitable or noble purposes? Where tn
e the hospitals and places of refuge m
the afflicted Point me to one church RI